by Andrew Morrison | Restaurant design can often be a predictable thing; sometimes insufferably so with same-same assortments of tables, booths, banquettes, and bars accented by a innocuous, inoffensive pictures framed here and there to suggest taste.

Though food and drink are most definitely the stars of any restaurant or cafe show, we can’t help but be taken in by the kinds of unique design elements that give the more interesting establishments their talking points of personality. So today, for your ranking consideration, we’re singling out five of our all-time favourites.

They are as follows: the kitchen’s peekaboo window that looks through the menu chalkboard and into the dining room at South Granville‘s Siena; the bizarre but beautiful white and gold cleavers and pigeon foot tap handles at Pidgin on the DTES (the latter pulling shochu, sake, and wine); the blue egg hideaway table for one at Greenhorn Cafe in the West End; Ricky Alvarez’ three side-by-side mercator projected nail maps of the world highlighting the globe’s coffee producing regions (in bronze nails) at Revolver in Gastown; and the tragic remnants of restaurants that closed before their time (eg. Fat Dragon, Fuel) on the walls/ceilings at Campagnolo Upstairs on Main Street.

Keep in mind that these are just a starting point. We have plenty of favourites, so we’ll reprise this poll with more options in the future. If we missed one of your faves, tweet it to us via @scoutmagazine.

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